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Senior School News

MRS ANNA CALDWELL
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

 With the term now well underway it is pleasing to see everyone settled and engaged with their learning, signing up for summer sports, speech and drama, music lessons and ensembles. 

Last week our School Photo day ran very smoothly, even with the welcome rain that moved us indoors into the Astra Arts Centre for the first time in many years. Thank you to Damian Riches and his staff at MSP. 

Connections 

After our Connect Orientation day, Connect Week, IT Connect Bootcamp and the fabulous Year 7 Friendship Connect Camp last week, all our new students have settled in to life at PLC Armidale really well and are to be commended for their level of organisation, arriving equipped, prepared and on time for each lesson and for navigating their way around the campus for all their classes. 

Our connections with each other are incredibly important. Each Year Group and the Student Representative Council will soon start working on their Social Service activities for 2020, supporting and building connections within our school community, our local community and our global community. Serving others, thinking of others before yourself and showing kindness to all, are core qualities that we focus on developing throughout each year. 

Leadership Positions

Congratulations to the following girls who received their leadership badges last Monday at a special Whole School Assembly. 

Sports Captains 2020:

• Swimming: Heidi Martin
• Tennis: Charlotte Caldwell
• Athletics: Chiyo Brown
• Basketball: Lily Graham
• Equestrian: Joint captains: Jesse Younghusband and Lucy Wright
• Indoor Hockey: Pip Constable
• Football: Shelby Philp
• Netball: Alice Berry
• Hockey: Natalie Brennan
• Rugby: Lily Coleman

Creative Arts Captains for 2020:

• Drama: Sienna Catterall
• Music: Clare Warwick 

SRC Representatives 2020

The highly successful Year 7 Friendship Connect Camp was held last week and once again proved a fabulous way of starting the year for our Year 7 students. The two days of the camp provide an opportunity for new girls to get to know one another in a relaxed and friendly camp in the beautiful and natural bushland setting of Echidna Gully. The camp facilities are outstanding and the girls enjoyed delicious food and the series of fun and engaging activities led by the Year 11 Peer Support Leaders, Pastoral Care staff and hosts at Echidna Gully.

One of the main highlights of the camp included the Amazing Race, where the girls are required to complete a series of challenges in the outdoors, including running through the bush to find resources to build a raft, and to use the raft to carry an “injured” girl through the bush and across a watercourse. The team also need to make a pretend - but functional! splint for an imaginary broken leg, with limited resources and anything they can find in the bush. Other activities are designed to build teamwork through cooperation and problem solving, and the entire experience is just great fun. Another highlight of the camp is the fashion parade. Teams are required to design and create a dress, or practical outfit, entirely from newspaper for a model to show the larger group in a fashion parade. 

We would like to congratulate the girls on their outstanding behaviour and the spirit with which they participated in the activities. We would also like to commend year 11 for the leadership they demonstrated as Peer Support Leaders. 

Our sincere thanks are extended to Jeremy and Therese Monk, the hosts and owners of the Echidna Gully Complex. 

The only jewellery that is permitted to be worn is a wrist watch and one pair of small stud earrings, that are either gold, silver or pearl, and only worn in the lower lobe. They must be small in size and round studs, not different shapes, no sleepers and no diamontes. Students will be asked to remove any item of jewellery that is not allowed and will be issued with a demerit. 

A reminder that no makeup is to be worn to school. If a student does wear makeup to school she will be asked to remove it. This includes nail polish as well. Students will be issued with a demerit for breaching these rules. 

These rules are clearly stated in the Student Diaries and the Student Handbook. 

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are to be switched off from 8.30am until 3.30pm. Should parents need to get a message to their daughter during the day, they are to contact Reception and the message will be passed on. If students are found to be using their mobile phones during the day without permission from a member of staff, the phone will be confiscated and a demerit will be issued. 3 demerits will result in a Friday afternoon detention. 

These rules are clearly stated in the Student Diaries and the Student Handbook. 

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze Training

The greatest and most inspiring mountain climbing achievements in history are not so much stories of individual achievement, but are stories of the extraordinary power of a unified, talented, prepared team that stays loyally committed to one another and to their shared vision to the end. 
Our Year 9 Bronzes have started their training with great enthusiasm and are working together as a very engaged and unified team. They have a shared vision and have already started planning their Gold Adventurous Journey destinations! 
These training sessions are compulsory and are on Saturday 15th, 22nd and 29th February and 7th March, from 9.30 - 12.30pm. Should a girl miss a session due to another commitment, catch up sessions are running on Tuesday afternoons from 3.45 - 5pm in Lab 9, on 11th, 18th and 25th February and 3rd and 10th March. 

Duke of Ed Hike Dates 2020

 Bronzes: 
Practice Hike 16 - 20 March - Week 8 Camp Week
Qualifying Hike 6 & 7 June - June Long Weekend 

Silvers and Golds: 
18-21April  Washpool & Gibraltar Range NP
27-30 June  Bondi - Manly, Sydney
26-29 Sept  Great North Walk
6-11 Dec Six Foot Track, Blue Mountains 

Junior School News

MRS FIONA WAKE
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

junior school leaders

At a whole school assembly on Monday 10 February, the Junior School Leadership Team was inducted along with Guild Team Leaders and JS SRC representatives for 2020. The girls proudly agreed to the following pledge, understanding; what you say you are and the leader you claim to be, needs to be modelled and honestly reflect your actions. The girls wholeheartedly agreed to;

- support the Christian principles of this school by being fair and kind, showing care for others, forgiving when necessary
- do their loyal best, work hard, abide by College rules and represent the College well in the wider community
- lead by example, displaying humility, integrity, respect and self-discipline

I am so very proud of the way the girls have positively embraced the process leading up to their induction, as it takes courage to nominate for a leadership position, present a speech to peers and then wait patiently for the outcome of the voting process. Mrs Taylor and Mrs Dowling have reported how proud they were of the way the girls received news of the outcome, and for some their courage in dealing with their disappointment, a challenge for most of us and especially for any 11 or 12 year-old experiencing this for the first time.
 
Congratulations are extended to Macey, Jennifer, Rachel, Sophie, Lailah and Elsie, who humbly accepted their success, knowing that those around them were less fortunate, however no less a leader. Already they have displayed empathy, kindness and adopted the mindset that ‘Collective Leadership’ and listening to multiple perspectives leads to better success and positive progress and outcomes for others. I commend them for their thoughtfulness and grace as they show support for their peers.
 
Congratulations to:

• Junior Head Prefect: Macey Wake
• Junior Deputy Head Prefect: Jennifer Sung

Guild Captains:

• Forrest Guild Captain: Rachel Mungall
• Gregory Guild Captain: Sophie Bailey
• Macquarie Guild Captain: Lailah Nelson Straub
• Wentworth Guild Captain: Elsie Wake

 Guild Team Leaders:

• Forrest: Kimberly Blake & Ella Jenkins
• Gregory: Issy Christiansen & Polly Turnbull
• Macquarie: Katie Hynes & Annabelle Mills
• Wentworth: Kyanna Ping Kee
   

2020 Semester One Student Representative Council Members (SRC);

• Kindergarten:   April Ferguson and Lana Milunovic                                    
• Year 1: Lexie Kay and Sienna Nelson-Straub                                                    
• Year 2: Georgianna Ballard and Evie Donaldson  
• Year 3: Lily Belford and Amelia Belson                                                     
• Year 4: Chloe Hoad and Sharni Webb                       
• Year 5: Kate Loxley and Mila Vanzella

 
  
2020 Student Leaders

Welcome to Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten students have got off to a flying start. The experience of Pre Kindergarten at PLC means our little girls are already familiar with staff, students, rules and routines. This means learning begins immediately with little time being wasted teaching them these important socialisation skills and logistics to ensure they are supported and safe. They have already begun their beginner number work, learning their letters and sounds and concepts about print. Their room is styled to reflect their theme of Learning Detectives, what inquisitive little detectives they are!
 

Welcome to Kindy!!!

Welcome to year 6 

We have had a wonderful start to 2020 in Year Six. Our Junior School leaders were elected last week after writing, rehearsing and delivering their thoughtful and inspiring speeches. The girls are very much looking forward to being the leaders of the Junior School and are excited for the many opportunities this will bring, such as planning and running Guild Gatherings, organising borrowing for the Sport Shed, stepping up to lead Chapel and prayer during lines once a week, as well as selling icypoles to fundraise for the Junior School. This year promises to be fun, busy and exciting. We look forward to sharing it with you.

Year 6 2020

staff Professional development 

The Junior School teaching staff have gone back to school! Our staff have been keeping up with the advancement in technology and how this can assist teaching and learning. A tool named ‘Plickers’ used to assess students FOR learning, AS learners and OF Learning has been introduced in our classrooms with great success. This assessment tool is used to gain valuable information regarding student learning and progress. It assists teachers to accurately judge achievement, provide feedback to students and parents and it is valuable for setting learning goals for students.

 
Staff Development Day

School Uniform RemindeR 

It is important that the girls wear full Summer Uniform as outlined in the Junior School Handbook.

Life Education

The Life Education NSW Van has made its annual visit to PLC Armidale this week. Life Education offers a broad health program with a particular focus on preventative drug education. It is aimed at students in their formative years, from Pre Kindergarten to Year 6. Through participation in Life Education, and in conjunction with the school’s PD/Health/PE program, opportunities are provided for children to develop a healthy respect for themselves and their bodies, self-esteem and self-awareness and skills in dealing with influences in society.

Bell Time Reminders

Before School
It has become noticeable that students are arriving to school very early. The morning bell rings at 8.40am and all children assemble in the courtyard before going to class.
 Children should arrive after 8.30am. Children who arrive earlier will be supervised from 8.15am. Children in the Pre Kinder class must be “signed in” and “signed out” each day. The “sign in” book is held in the Pre-Kinder classroom where the teacher will welcome students from 8.30am.

Sport News

MR PETER LE SURF
DIRECTOR OF SPORT

Around the grounds

The whole school Swimming Carnival, unfortunately had to be postponed due to an extreme weather forecast.

Performing Arts News 

MR MATTHEW MINTER
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Music news

2020 has begun with a bang in Music at PLC Armidale. We have started three new ensembles and welcome a very enthusiastic group of musical Year 7 girls into the Senior School. The Junior School is also seeing an exciting expansion of programs. 

The new musical ensembles in 2020 are the Junior School Jazz Band, The Senior School Rock Band and the Senior School Acapella Group. These three ensembles, along with the Senior School Jazz Band established last year, form part of our strategic plan to expand the scope of opportunities for girls at PLC Armidale to include performing a range of quality contemporary repertoire. 

I would like to congratulate the Year 12 music class of 2019 for their exemplary results in the HSC music last year. The girls achieved 10 Band 6 (or equivalent) results between Music 1, Music 2 and Music Extension, five Encore nominations and one student selected for the Encore program. Congratulations to:

• Ruby Beatty: Band 6 Music 1
• Mackenzie Constable: Band 6 Music 2
• Isla Biffin: Band 6 Music 2 and E4 (Band 6 equivalent) Music Extension 
• Mia Emanuel: Band 6 Music 2 and E4 (Band 6 equivalent) Music Extension
• Elinor Warwick: Band 6 Music 2 and E4 (Band 6 equivalent) Music Extension
• Sarah Miron: Band 5 Music 2 and E4 (Band 6 equivalent) Music Extension
• Sophia Mackson: Band 5 Music 2 and E4 (Band 6 equivalent) Music Extension
• Erin Chen: Band 5 Music 1
• Kathleen MacDougall: Band 5 Music 1
• Xinyue Li: Band 5 Music 2

ENCORE NOMINATIONS:

• Elinor Warwick: Composition
• Mia Emanuel: Composition
• Mackenzie Constable: Composition
• Mia Emanuel: Performance
• Isla Biffin: Performance 

Mackenzie’s Music 2 Elective composition, a string quartet Mistress Hibbons was selected from the shortlisted works to be performed at the Encore. The PLC Sydney Senior String Quartet will be performing the work.  

Three students, Isla Biffin, Elinor Warwick and Sophia Mackson, are embarking on further professional study at a tertiary level in music. Isla will be studying in Germany from the middle of 2020. She is currently on a full time contract as a harpist with the Australian Opera and Ballet orchestra. Elinor and Sophia will be moving to Adelaide and Brisbane respectively to study a Bachelor of Music, performance degrees. I would like to wish these girls all the very best for their future careers in Music. 

I would also like to congratulate Emily Thompson on her many achievements during the summer holidays. Among her many achievements was participation in the National Music Camp. Participation in The National Music Camp is one of the highest honours for young musicians. Most of the musicians at the camp are tertiary students working towards careers as professional orchestral musicians.

In December, Emily (and Abigail) was invited to perform with the Sydney Childrens' Choir in their annual Voices of Angels concerts, held in the Sydney City Recital Hall after a week of intensive rehearsals with the Sydney Childrens' Choir. In January, Emily was a member of the 2 week Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp, held at Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide. Here she was fortunate enough to play fantastic orchestral and chamber repertoire with young musicians from across Australia and learn from tutors, artists and conductors of international standing.

Emily took part in highly competitive Australia-wide auditions for this in August 2019 to secure a first-round offer in the AYO program, which she prepared for closely with her violin teacher Sofia Debus. The AYO National Music Camp application eligibility is for young musicians aged 14 to 22, including those who are undertaking or have recently completed tertiary music studies, with just under 200 orchestral places nationally. At the age of 14, this was a very special achievement for Emily. She thoroughly enjoyed the camp and found it very inspiring.

Emily also received an offer to sing in Gondwana's Collective choir at the Jan 2020 National Choral School and representing Australia at the World Choral Symposium in New Zealand in July 2020 immediately after she had accepted the offer for AYO NMC. Unfortunately, due to NMC and Gondwana National Choral School being held for exactly the same two weeks in January, she was unable to accept Gondwana Choir's exciting offer.

Emily Thompson

• Teya Catterell
• India Smith
• Tiko Lay 
• Holly Dauparas
• Gabby Cotterell
• Clare Warwick

 
(L-R) India Smith, Dakota Love, Gabrielle Cotterill, Clare Warwick, Holly Dupauras, Tiko Lay and Teya Catterall

I would particularly like to congratulate Gabrielle Cotterell and India Smith for being part of the live broadcast on ABC Classic FM of Luke Byrne’s piece Birinyi with the Gondwana Collective. Clare Warwick, our recently appointed Music Captain, has written a report of her experience of Gondwana National Choral School below.

GONDWANA

BY CLARE WARWICK

Gondwana 2020 was my 5th year at Gondwana National Choral School. I was in Voices. I started as a small 11 year old girl in Junior Gondwana. Every year it is great to see the representation of PLC Armidale girls in many of the different choirs. 

Each year Gondwana has a selection of electives, which are extra activities to take breaks from singing and to try branch out from the techniques we are most comfortable singing.  

My elective this year was completely different to my elective last year. Last year I did Musical Theatre which was lots of fun but unfortunately this year they did not offer it. I ended up doing Avant Garde. It was rather strange but I made some good friends. 

Many of the songs for Gondwana this year involved the theme of environmental crisis. Over the 2 weeks I attended Gondwana the catastrophe bushfires were still extremely bad and many of the choristers had been affected by them. I was particularly inspired by Gabriel Kam. Gabriel’s entire village burnt down in the fires. Gondwana helped him continue to sing and pursue his passion and this just shows how incredible Gondwana is. 

Every year it is amazing to see how the different voices blend well together and I especially liked the combined piece with every choir as it shows how amazing our voices really are. 

PERIPATETIC PROGRAM

The Peripatetic Program at PLC Armidale is busier than ever before with new teachers Barry White on Bagpipes, Kees Greynor on percussion and Lindsay Rowlands on guitar and drums. 

If you are interested in learning a new musical instrument please fill out a co-curricular form. These can be found on our website, at the Junior School Reception or on the Senior School Music noticeboard. 

Please find below the timetable for the weekly ensemble rehearsals. If your daughter is interested in becoming involved in any of these ensembles please contact Mr Minter. 

 

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Boarding News

MS KAREN HUTTON
HOUSE MOTHER

Welcome to 2020

 What a busy but fantastic start to the year in the Boarding House!  It has been wonderful to welcome back our returning Boarders and even more exciting to welcome our new girls to life at PLC Armidale Boarding. It really does feel as though we have all been together as one big boarding family for ages!

All girls have quickly settled back into routines, but the highlight of the term so far has been the Boarder’s Coast Weekend. Our Boarding Prefect, Paris Whibley reports on the weekend below:

"Another great start to the year for the Boarding House with the annual Coffs Harbour weekend trip. It was great to see the new girls get to know boarding girls and the connections between girls strengthen. Every year group participated in a fun activity, including paint balling, surfing, stand up paddle boarding and a trip to the big banana water park. Myself and the year 12 boarders organised the Saturday night activities which consisted of a trivia game, a QR code scavenger hunt and finishing with some impressive dance battles on Just Dance. Being my last year I am disappointed it is over but it was definitely one of the best Coffs trips and I made memories to last a lifetime."

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